Design of autonomous surface vehicle

• Main Author: Ho Nguyen Ky Trung
• Other Authors: Xie Ming
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2025
• Subjects: Engineering; Design; Autonomous surface vehicle; RobotX
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/181916
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This report documents the design and development process of an Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) for the Maritime RobotX Challenge 2024, focusing on the optimization and integration of essential components for autonomous operation. The project, undertaken by Team Archimedes from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), addresses the challenges of stability, buoyancy, and motion control while ensuring the system meets the competition's stringent requirements. The design process involves careful consideration of various mechanical components, including building the main structure for holding controlling modules, selection of materials for weight reduction, fixing arising issues, and integration all modules. A series of modifications and testing were conducted to overcome issues with pod fit, waterproofing, and thruster control, ensuring reliable performance in water-based environments. This report also highlights the iterative design approach taken to balance the vessel's stability, minimize vibration, and optimize the dynamic response of the USV, with a focus on real-world implementation. The results contribute to the team's efforts in achieving competitive performance at RobotX 2024. Future work will focus on further testing, refining system components, and improving overall system integration to enhance the USV’s performance for the competition and beyond.